Friday, January 29, 2010

At this point, it's hard to gauge how Todd Grantham's new 3-4 defense is going to affect the current roster of Bulldogs other than to say it's definitely going to shake things up.

But of all the fan-friendly quotes I've heard from Grantham so far, I think this one caught my eye more than any others when it comes to player development:

"The best thing you can do is create one-on-ones. You try to get the guys that can win for you against the guys that can’t win for them. I don’t think there’s any question that can be an asset for us, and I think that some players will thrive because of that. I think some guys will enhance their careers because of that, because we’re going to find ways to make guys in protection – whether it be a back or a freshman guard or tackle – we’re going to find ways to make those guys block.”

Add that to Grantham's insistence that the best players will play and there's a clean slate for those who hadn't seen much playing time in the past, and I'd say it's a safe bet that we'll see some new stars emerge on defense next season.

So, with that in mind, I tried to put together a quick list of five players I think might see the biggest impact in Year 1 from Grantham's arrival.

Now, keep in mind, this isn't a list of which players I think will find the most success. My guess is Justin Houston is going to be a first-team All-SEC guy in 2010 -- but he might have been that anyway.

And it's not a list of who the new faces will be this season. Players like Garrison Smith and Jakar Hamilton appear to have bright futures, but again, they would have likely had bright futures regardless of the DC.

This list is of five guys who have already been in Athens for at least a year who have a chance to see the career path they were on shifted in a positive direction now that the new staff is (almost) in place. For some, it's a matter of the scheme now matching their skills. For others, it's about getting a fresh start with a new opportunity to prove themselves. And for others, it's just about getting some better coaching to iron out the flaws in their game.

Anyway, here's what I came up with...

Cornelius Washington (RSo./DE). At 6-4, 250, Washington is a big boy, but his pass-rush skills have always hinged on his speed. Add to that the fact that in the 4-3, he was going to be stuck behind Houston and Demarcus Dobbs on the depth chart, and you have a guy with a ton of skill who wasn't being utilized in the best way. Enter the 3-4 and it's a completely different story. While Dobbs possesses the wider frame that could keep him at DE, Washington is a prototype outside linebacker in Grantham's scheme and could be an absolute stud as a pass rusher. If he teams with Houston at OLB in 2010, Washington's numbers could be off the charts, and Georgia's pass rush could be downright frightening.

Akeem Hebron (Sr./LB). I'm not entirely sure where Hebron fits in, but the fact of the matter is, he arrived at Georgia as one of the most highly recruiting linebackers the Dawgs had landed in recent years and his career has come and gone with about as little fanfare as any top-100 recruit could have. He has appeared in just nine games and made just four tackles total at Georgia, but with a fresh start under Grantham and the departure of Rennie Curran, there's a chance Hebron could salvage the final season of his college career much the way Brandon Miller did in 2007.

Marcus Dowtin (Jr./LB). Dowtin made huge steps forward in 2009 and was arguably Georgia's second best linebacker already. But the biggest chink in Dowtin's armor has been his consistency. I've been told by Curran and John Jancek and Darryl Gamble and even Dowtin himself that he has a tendency to take a play or two off on occasion or to let down his guard from time to time. Something tells me that Grantham and his 11 years of NFL experience won't be letting that happen any longer. Dowtin is talented enough to be a future star at the next level, and I wouldn't be shocked if Grantham gets him to just that point. Add to that Dowtin's strong tackling skills, strong work in blitz situations and ability to play in coverage and he seems like a good fit at ILB in the 3-4 to boot.

Kiante Tripp (Sr./DE). This might be wishful thinking on my part, but for anyone who has followed Tripp's career, you have to root for the kid to finally make something of himself at Georgia. He's been misused from the beginning, and he hasn't complained. Wherever coaches have needed him, he's gone. And each time he makes a position change, he gets thrown to the wolves, then cast aside quickly. The same was true last year after moving to DE when Tripp struggled to get onto the field after some early injury concerns. And as much as it would be a shame for a guy who has given his all for Georgia to miss out on a finding some success, it would be a crime for UGA to let someone with Tripp's combination of size and athleticism to graduate without turning him into a real player. Tripp's body type could work very well on the D line in Grantham's 3-4, and while he'll no doubt be pushed by some younger talent like Abry Jones and Kwame Geathers, he won't be without a good group of fans pulling for him to turn the corner after so many setbacks.

Jordan Love (RFr./CB). A lot of competition for the final slot -- with Geathers and Jones among the younger players who might thrive in new roles and Darryl Gamble or Akeem Dent among the older players who might cap their careers nicely in the 3-4 -- but I didn't want to only consider the front seven. In any defense, it's incumbent upon the corners to provide solid play in the run game, and Prince Miller did that really well last year. In the 3-4, that responsibility becomes even more important. Certainly Branden Smith could fill that role and do it well, but Love is bigger and more physical and could find himself in competition for a bit more playing time this season than he might have been otherwise. A foot injury kept him off the field in Year 1 of his career, which might have put him behind the 8-ball with the previous regime, but a strong spring could now leave him in prime position to be, at worst, the top corner off the bench in nickel situations.

So, what do you guys think? Any sleepers you're particularly excited about in 2010? Any veterans you're hoping will get one last shot?

6 comments:

Anonymous
said...

Nice Post! I have a few others in mind as well. Brandon Wood, Nick Williams, and Montez Robinson (if he doesn't sit out a few games). Really excited to see Grantham's 3-4. We have the horses in the stable to be good, really good!

I'm rooting for K Tripp as well. Who was Tripp's coach last year? Do you think CRG will be able to help him turn the corner?

In addition to those you've mentioned (and I happen to agree with all of your assessments): I think all of the guys in the secondary are going to be helped by the new coaching changes. It seemed as if this was where the tenure=playing time debacle originated and festered. I think we see a big improvement from Love, Commings, Cuff and Pugh. If they elevate their game, that will make Smith, Boykin, Rambo, Banks, and Hamilton that much better! I am VERY excited about the new and improved secondary.

PS- Hale or anyone else think that RS will make the move to LB? If he does, and I hope he does, I think there is a HUGE upside to this kid in a 3-4 LB spot. Remember, he's the 2nd fastest guy on the entire team (behind B.Smith and Wooten who I believe tie for 1st).

I agree with Love. He's such a big DB, but he's got the moves like a smaller guy, and really accelerates quickly out of a backpedal. I think he could end up being one of UGAs biggest playmakers in the secondary this year or next.

Love/Tripp will be strong players w/ proper coaching. With the additions of Houston and Washington (presumably), our linebacking core goes from a weakness to strength. I am very concerned about the learning curve though. Your talking about most of the front 7 doing something they have not been coached to do as of today. This could put heavy stress on DBs especially early in the season. My guess is RS stays at RB, but I think he could make some money down the road at LB.

First, let me say that there's no one rooting for Kiante Tripp more than me. I looked at the 2007 Florida game last year and it's mind boggling when you see where he is now (DE) versus where he was then (LT blocking for Moreno on one of his last scoring drives). The kid deserves a chance to shine and with his work ethic and heart, my guess is he'll get it and run with it.

Secondly, my breakout player has to be Boykin. It's almost ludicrous to think that Boykin isn't already a playmaker, but with proper coaching in the secondary to really enhance his coverage skills, he could be a shut down corner for us. He got burnt a lot last year on big plays, blown coverages and not being the ball hawk that I think he has the ability to have. Out of all the players that could be "most improved," I think Boykin fits that mold if he can take solid DB coaching and run with it.

David,In your post about recruiting and mentioning Outliers (which I haven't read, but have heard Gladwell talk about), I couldn't help but think about Brandon Miller and K. Tripp and a few others. If I understand the theme of the book correctly, getting meaningful reps at a specific skill set is very important. By moving Miller and Tripp around so much, were they hindered in getting those meaningful reps?

I hope we don't do the same thing to Harmon and a few others on the squad.

Finally, I know this is probably sacrilegious, but I wonder if CSS' policy of putting the best 5 OL on the field regardless of position also is a little bit of a Hindenburg too. However, I realized a lot of that has been due to injury and possibly even a necessity. It just seems that it would be best (in an ideal world) to have a guy train to be the best LT or RG or whatever, instead of being the best talent, but trying to figure out a bunch of different positions.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Seth Emerson has been covering the SEC and Georgia (on and off) since 2002. He worked at the Albany Herald from 2002-05, then spent five years at The State in Columbia, S.C., covering South Carolina. He returned to Athens in August of 2010, only to find that David Pollack and David Greene were no longer playing for the Bulldogs. Adjustments were made. Emerson is originally from Silver Spring, Md., and graduated from Maryland in 1998 with a degree in journalism and a minor in getting lost on the way to practically everywhere. Then he spent four years at The Washington Post, covering small colleges, a couple NCAA basketball tournaments, and on one glorious day, was yelled at by Tony Kornheiser. It was probably at The Post that he also learned to write in the third person.These days he lives in Athens with his beloved and somewhat wimpy dog, Archie. Together they fight crime at night in northeast Georgia, except on nights there is no crime, in which case they sit at home, sip on white wine and watch reruns of "Mad Men."